Reviews

The Bookseller by Cynthia Swanson

jcharlton's review against another edition

5.0

Recommended by Abigail. I loved it! I think it flowed well and was interesting. I look forward to other books by this author.

liralen's review against another edition

3.0

Sliding Doors meets The Butterfly Effect, I suppose. It's the early 60s, and Kitty is living a good life in Denver: owning and operating a bookstore with her best friend, single and generally content, her parents living nearby. Then strange, vivid dreams begin to show her an alternate version of her life, one in which a difference some years ago led her to a different life: married, with children; a picture-perfect life with her picture-perfect family. But things are not all as they seem.

Spoiler

This takes on some topics not much discussed at the time: it transpires that one of those children has autism, which was even less well understood then than it is now. We see a pretty simplified version of that autism—and even less of how the world outside the family reacts to it—but it's a reminder of how many conditions have been blamed on poor mothering throughout the years. I'm curious about how the reading experience might have been different if Kitty had realised there were three children, not two, right away, and if she didn't view Michael as a stain on her dream life for so much of the book.

The end's a bit rose-coloured-glasses, of course, but I did like the many small references to 1960s events.

pascaleb's review against another edition

5.0

This book....was so good! Perfect twists and turns. A story about life, loss and love and how your life would be if certain moments were different. A good book is one that you can't predict, and this was one of those!

txbooklover's review against another edition

emotional inspiring mysterious reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

 Loved this fantasy novel about a woman who lives another life when she dreams.  Her alternate reality crosses over into her current life.  The characters were realistic and very well developed, and the story itself was something most people would be able to relate to.  Everyone sometimes wonders what might have happened if they’d made a different choice along the way in life, and this book really makes you think about that.  There’s an element of mystery to the story too, with a complex plot.  The ending was amazing.  Loved this one and would highly recommend it.  5/5 stars. 

rachel_abby_reads's review

3.0

I figured out the twist about 55% of the way through the book. I don't know if that means I was reading more critically, or if it was more obvious. I guess I'll find out at book club.

It was an engaging book, and the temptations of the two worlds is understandable. I tried to play the game with my husband, painting what I imagined his ideal alternate world would be, and he looked at me like I was nuts. Still, it was a good book club read.

laurend's review against another edition

2.0

Great book for discussion as the idea of the book is good but the writing needs a lot of work.

courtthebookgirl's review against another edition

Going on the abandoned shelf for now...

jenno's review against another edition

4.0

This was excellent! A real pageturner! Full review to come.

anderson65's review against another edition

4.0

Last night I finished THE BOOKSELLER by Cynthia Swanson and came up for air. The story was excellent and had me reading pretty much non-stop! I liked that it was set in Denver involving streets and landmarks that I know. It's always fun to connect to a story that way. And, the story! I was sucked right in! What if we had made different decisions at key points in our lives? What would our lives be like then? This story takes the reader there.

bgg616's review against another edition

4.0

This was not my usual reading fare but I did find it entertaining. Kitty Miller runs a bookstore with her best friend Frieda. She is in her 30's and single. Their bookstore is not doing well after the streetcar stops running through their neighborhood. Kitty starts to have dreams about another life were she is married with children. It is a fascinating story of what could have been and kept me reading.